Fredrick c



F. C. LIDKB.

HAND STAMP.

(No Model.)

No. 481,362. Patented Aug. 23, 1892.

11m/aww@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDRIOK O. LIDKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HAN D-STAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,362, dated August 23, 1892.

Application led May 15, 1889. Renewed October 6, 1891.V Serial No. 407,908. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FREDEICK C. LIDKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the countyof New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Stamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

My invention relates to improvements in hand-stamps, and more particularly to that class of such articles as are'used by the Government in canceling and marking postagestamps.

The object of such invention is to improve the means for holding the type with which the said stamps are provided, to improve the construction of such type, and to improve the construction of the stamp in other minor details; and to the accomplishment of the above the invention consists in certain novel parts and combinationof parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and specically claimed.

In the further description of the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional view through acomplete stamp; Fig. 2, a bottom plan of one style of stamp; Fig. 3, a section on the line y 'y of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a top plan of the stock with cover-plate removed; Fig. 5, a section of Fig. 4.; Fig. 6, a section through the stock and cover-plate, showing one form of type used; Fig. 7, a bottom plan of a stock, showing the old style of stamp-strips with expansion-ring used in connection therewith; Fig. 8, a boty torn plan of a stock, showing two sets of printing-surfaces in one stamp, one consisting of the old stamp-strip and the other of the separate type; and Fig. 9, a detail of the expansionring.

Like letters refer to like parts in each view.

In the drawings, D represents the stock, upon the upper face of which is formed a screw-threaded shank E.

B represents the device for connecting the shank E and handle A, such device consisting of an interiorly-screw-threaded sleeve b, formed with an annular flange arranged to abut against the lower end of the handle and a shank a, the latter adapted to enter a socket formed in the handle. Heretofore this shank a has been formed round or square and with no holding device; but in practice such constructions are found to have disadvantages. I provide my shank a with a series of fins c, (two shown, but any number can be used,) eachV of which is so constructed and arranged as to cut into the wood of handle A and hold the parts securely together.

C represents a cover-plate provided with a central opening adapting it to be passed over the shank E hereinbefore referred to. Such plate is alsoprovided with an openinge, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that the plate may be revolved to cause opening e to register with openings f of the stock, in which last-named openings are placed the type 7L h for giving the month and day of month of cancellation. As shown in the drawings, the plate C is formed perfectly plain and the stock D provided on its upper face I with the depression d.

It will be understood that in the use of V these stamps two operations are simultaneously performed-to wit, the cancellation of the stamp and the stamping of the postmark, so called. The raised portion G, Fig. 2, is used for the cancellation of the stamp, such part being preferably or usually corrugated, as shown at t'. In addition to the marks formed by such corrugations, however, it is customary to use some distinguishing letter or character, such as the number 5, (shown in the drawings,) the type for forming such characters having heretofore been cut or stamped in the face of the raised portion G. In the stamp shown herein I providea removable plug F, in the lower face of which the character is formed. At its upper end such plug is provided with an annular liange l, (shown in Fig. 3,) which rests upon the upper face of the part G when the plug is inserted into an opening bored through such raised portion and the stock.

To provide for the name of the post-office and generally the year in which the mark is made, the following construction is used: A socket is formed in the under or stamping IOO face of the stock, the socket being of any desired shape, a round socket being shown in the drawings as the form most commonly used. In this socket are placed the typeg, having the letters necessary to form the name of the post-oiiice, such type being placed against the rim formed b v the socket, after which a ring I is inserted into the socket. This ring is cut, as shown, and is formed of any material which willbe capable of bending. RingIbeingcontracted to allow of its insertioninto the socket will upon being released expand and press against the type and hold them securely in place. By this arrangement if any single type becomes damaged it can be withdrawn and replaced bya perfect type, the remaining undamaged type remaining in use. In Fig. l of the drawings I have shown these type as perfectly plain, dependence for their retention in place being put entirely upon the expansion of the ring I. yIt may, however, in some instances prove advantageous to provide each type with a fiange or projection lo, as shown in Fig. 6, such projections entering a circumferential groove formed around the socket, as shown.

In Fig. S I have shown a stamp especially applicable to use by railroads, where the name of the road is stamped in addition to the name of the oce. In this style of stamp a series of rings of type are used (two such being shown) one within the other.

In the drawings, I have shown the outer set of type as consisting of the stamp-strip hereinbefore referred to, which is marked I-I, and the inner set of the separate type herein claimed, s uch type being held in place by the expansionring of this application. It will be understood, however, that this arrangement of parts conld be reversed or both sets be formed of either the separate type or the stamp-strips,

as desired.

In Fig. 7 Ihave shown the stamp-strips used in connection with the expansion-ring of this application. l

l. In a hand-stamp, the combinaton,with a stock provided with a socket and a circumferential groove surrounding the same, of types provided with projections and an vexpansion-ring, as set forth.

2. In ahand-stalnp,the combination, with a 

